Bauer fans 11, surging Indians shut out Twins
Trevor Bauer struck out 11 and gave up just three hits over six innings and Edwin Encarncion gave him plenty of support with a home run and four RBIs as the host Cleveland Indians cruised to a 10-0 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Monday night at Progressive Field.
Yonder Alonso, Brandon Guyer and Jason Kipnis also homered for Cleveland, which won its third straight game and improved to 33-15 against AL Central competition. Francisco Lindor, Michael Brantley and Kipnis each finished with two hits.
It was the 10th double-digit strikeout game of the season for Bauer (11-6), tying Boston's Chris Sale for the American League lead in that category. The 11 strikeouts also gave Bauer a total of 206 for the season, making him 11th pitcher in Cleveland history to reach 200 strikeouts in a season -- and the second fastest to do it behind only 2017 Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber.
Kyle Gibson (5-9) took the loss, giving up six runs (four earned) on seven hits in five innings, as Minnesota, which finished with just three hits, had a three-game win streak snapped.
Cleveland scored two unearned runs on just one hit to take a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Lindor started the inning with a walk and went to second on a single by Brantley. Both runners then advanced a base when Gibson's pickoff attempt at second bounced off the glove of shortstop Jorge Polanco into center field. Lindor then scored on a sacrifice fly down the right field line by Jose Ramirez and Brantley, who tagged and went to third on the play, later scored on a groundout by Encarnacion.
The Indians upped their lead to 6-0 with a four-run fourth that featured home runs by both Alonso and Guyer. Alonso made it 3-0 with his 19th homer of the season, a 418-foot drive into the Twins' bullpen in right-center. After Leonys Martin struck out, Kipnis walked and then scored on a Roberto Perez double into the gap in left-center. Guyer then followed with his sixth homer of the season down the left-field line.
Kipnis, with a little help from Minnesota center fielder Jake Cave, increased the Indians' lead to 7-0 in the sixth with his 11th homer of the season. A leaping Cave got the end of his glove on the drive and helped to knock it over the fence.
Encarncion hit his 25th homer of the season in the seventh off reliever Matt Belisle, a three-run blast to left to make it 10-0.
The Twins used a position player, catcher Mitch Garver, to pitch a scoreless eighth inning. Garver allowed only a single to Lindor.
--Field Level Media
